In various medical applications, it is desirable to prepare bone cements with a specific range or threshold level of viscosity for placement into a cavity within a patient—s bone. Bone cements that are viscous may be particularly suitable for delivery through a plunger system. In certain medical applications, cement delivered in a low viscosity state may cause medical complications. For example, if the viscosity is not sufficiently viscous, the bone cement may leak outside of the bone cavity, potentially leading to contact of external tissue, such as nerve contact, which may cause nerve damage resulting in subsequent paralysis of the patient. If the viscosity is too viscous, the bone cement may not completely fill all of the voids in the bone cavity prior to the cement hardening, leading to incomplete filling and a bone that is weaker and more susceptible to damage (e.g., fractures).
Previously, physicians would determine a correct viscosity by feel, i.e., rubbing the cement between their fingers to make a judgment on whether the cement is the correct viscosity for loading the cement into a plunger for insertion into a patient. However, judging the cement by feel can be imprecise and may lead to the problems discussed above if the viscosity is not correct. Therefore, an improved approach for determining cement viscosity may be desirable.